Page Metadata

Item Metadata

Universities around the globe have signed international declarations and agreements that
recognize the importance of higher education in creating a more sustainable future. These
agreements oblige universities to integrate sustainability programs into the teaching,
research and community frameworks of higher education. In 1997, the University of British
Columbia (UBC) adopted a Sustainable Development Policy that states the campus will
adhere to sustainable practices in ALL of its actions and mandates. It also states that all
students who attend UBC will be educated about sustainability.
This dissertation reports on an in-depth case study of the University of British Columbia to
examine how the educational component of the Sustainable Development Policy is being
addressed. I investigated the role of sustainability in current undergraduate programs and
the barriers to move sustainability education forward at the university level. Using an
integration of activist oriented research (participatory action research and collaborative
inquiry) I investigated current practices and identified possible pathways for institutional
transformation. The study includes voices from a range of decision-makers, faculty, staff
and students who contemplate sustainability education. I utilized a range of techniques to
engage the university community in a dialogue about sustainability education by engaging
myself in a series of projects including a collaborative writing project, faculty and student
workshops and in-depth interviews.
The results are presented as a series of seven articles that have either been published or
submitted to journals. I identified a number of barriers to creating sustainability education
programs, which included the competitive and disciplinary environment of the institution,
unclear priorities and decision-making structures and misdirected criteria for evaluating
progress. Recommendations included promoting collaborative models for teaching and
research, promoting transdisciplinarity, integrating research, teaching and service, and
coordinating planning, decision-making and evaluation. Other recommendations included
infusing sustainability into university plans and priorities, focusing on personal and social
sustainability and creating space for pedagogical transformation.